Our school is committed to supporting the health and well-being of all students. An important part of this commitment is our Health Support Policy. We acknowledge that parents/guardians retain primary responsibility for their child’s health care. This includes responsibility for providing accurate, up-to-date, relevant information for staff regarding children’s routine and emergency health care needs. Students will be supported to develop safe, self-management of their health care needs. This will occur with respect for the child’s age and stage of development.
First Aid
If a child becomes unexpectedly ill or injured, staff will:
- • Administer basic first aid.
- • Contact the front office.
- • Front office staff will call an ambulance if needed and continue to administer basic first aid.
- • Inform parent/guardian (or emergency contact) if first aid needs follow-up at home or with a doctor (eg. Head injury, excessive nose bleed, or other agreed circumstances).
If students require first aid off-site (eg. Excursions, camps, buses), staff will:
- • Administer basic first aid.
- • Call an ambulance if needed and continue to administer basic first aid.
- • Inform parent/guardian (or emergency contact) if first aid needs follow-up at home or with a doctor.
First aid from the classroom
- • Teachers can administer basic first aid using supplies in their first aid boxes.
- • If more first aid is needed child to be sent to front office with ‘FIRST AID REQUEST’ form.
- • SSOs to administer first aid, record on office first aid log and contact parents if necessary. If parents are contacted, SSOs to ensure teachers are informed promptly.
First aid from the yard
- • Teachers can administer basic first aid using supplies in their first aid bags.
- • If more first aid is needed child to be sent to front office with ‘FIRST AID REQUEST’ form and accompanied by another child.
- • SSOs to administer first aid, record on office first aid log and contact parents if necessary. If parents are contacted SSOs to ensure teachers are informed promptly.
- • If there is a first aid or other emergency, send a red card to the front office.
- • First aid given will be recorded on the Medication Log in yard duty bags, the sick room or the front office.
All head injuries need to be reported to parent/guardian by phone or written note.
Routine Health and Personal Care Support
Some students may require assistance with their routine or emergency health and personal care needs. Before staff can assist with this, parents/guardians must provide written information from their doctor which outlines specific care needs. Forms for care plans are available from the front office for a range of health conditions and needs, including:
- • Asthma
- • Diabetes
- • Epilepsy
- • Anaphylaxis (severe allergy)
- • Medical information (for General health care or those without specific forms)
- • General health information (to be signed and completed by a general practitioner, psychiatrist or psychologist)
The purpose of these ‘Care Plan’ forms is to ensure that the school has information from the treating health professional relevant to the student’s health, well-being, attendance, learning and care at school. We can then write a ‘Health Support Plan’ for the child if deemed necessary by the school or if any of the following are relevant:
- • There are any individual first aid requirements, other than a basic first aid response.
- • The child needs additional supervision for health-related safety.
- • There is a predictable need for additional support with daily living tasks.
Health Support Plans are written using the written information from the treating health professional, with discussion between school staff and the parent/guardian. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to:
- • request these forms.
- • ensure all appropriate forms are completed and signed by the doctor.
- • sign all appropriate forms as parent/guardian.
- • return all forms to the front office staff.
- • update all medical information on the appropriate forms as necessary.
Asthma
Students with asthma (even if only ‘mild’ or ‘occasional’) need an asthma care plan completed and signed by the treating doctor and relevant medication provided to the front office staff. Staff can remind students to take their preventative asthma medication prior to physical activity if this is part of the asthma care plan. Staff are also trained to administer reliever medication in the event of asthma attack. The school has reliever medication for use in emergency situations only. All other students who require asthma medication must have puffers in the front office. All asthma puffers must have the pharmacist label, including the student’s name, stuck on the puffer.
Medication Management
As much as possible, we encourage students to take medication outside of school hours, eg. medication administered three times per day can be taken in the morning before school, in the afternoon straight after school, and at bedtime.
To administer medications at school, the following is required:
- • Students must have a medication plan filled out by a doctor and the parent/guardian.
- • Medication must be provided in the original pharmacist container with directions on the label.
- • The child’s name must be on the original label.
- • Medication must be stored safely and so needs to be taken to the front office and given to a front office staff member for storage in a securely locked cupboard. This should be handed from adult to adult. A maximum of a week’s supply is to be provided at any time (except asthma medication).
- • It is the parent/guardian’s responsibility to provide the required medication. Staff will fill in the medication log and will notify parents if students fail to take their required medication.
- • A medication log will be filled out by the front office staff member supervising or giving the medication (or by the classroom teacher).
Steps In Health Support Planning
Parents/Guardians
1. Sign and Complete the enrolment form with accurate health / medical information.
2. Ensure the school has up-to-date information with parent/guardian emergency contact details and at least 2 other people for backup emergency contact.
3. Request the relevant health care plan forms as needed for the child.
4. Have the Health Care Plan forms completed and signed by the treating medical practitioner, sign them as parent/guardian, and return to front office staff.
5. Work with Principal, Deputy Principal or Senior Leader to complete a Health Support Plan for the child if necessary.
6. Ensure all medication is delivered to the front office as needed, and that a medication plan is completed and signed by the doctor and signed by parent/guardian.
7. Update the medical information as necessary with forms completed and signed by the treating medical practitioner.
Students
1. Follow the Heath Care Plan, medication plan and/or Health Support Plan agreed upon.
2. Take medication under supervision as stated in the medication plan.
3. Alert class teacher if unwell or feeling early warning signs stated in plans.
Front office staff
1. Check that any child with a medical / health concern on enrolment form receives the appropriate health care plan forms and parent pamphlet.
2. Check health care plan forms for doctor and parent signature.
3. Ensure you understand the care required if different from usual first aid, and share with all SSOs and class teacher.
4. File Health Care Plan forms, Medication Plans and Health Support Plans in the ‘Medical Emergencies’ folder in the first aid room. Copy also to go to class teacher and into child’s file.
5. Follow Health Support Plans, Health Care Plans and Medication Plans as necessary.
6. Complete the First aid log each time first aid is given.
7. Complete the medication log each time medication is given.
Principal, Deputy Principal or Assistant Principal
1. Check any health issues at enrolment discussion.
2. Ensure correct forms are given and explain policy.
3. Complete Health Care Plans with parent/guardians as necessary.
4. Follow the attached ‘Steps in health support planning’.
5. Assistant Principal to ensure identified students have appropriate Health Support Plans and health care plans as part of the One Child, One Plan documentation process.
All staff
1. Follow Health Care Plans, medication plans and Health Support Plans.
2. Send all medication (except for where students are encouraged to carry their medication with them as recommended by a doctor) to the front office – needs to be delivered adult to adult where possible.
3. Complete the first aid log each time first aid is given.
4. Complete the medication log each time medication is given.
Policy update and review
The school council and staff regularly monitor and review the effectiveness of the Health Support Policy (at least every three years) and revise the policy when required.
Policy last reviewed May 2020. Next review May 2023.
